Sparks were flying as students learn about welding

Milton, ON - April 18, 2016 - Grade 7 and 8 students from Halton Hills Christian School were completely hands on while sparks flew and metal was being fused during their Exploratories Program that was hosted by the CWB Welding Foundation at the CWB Group’s headquarters in Milton, ON.

During the students introduction to welding, they learned all about proper safety procedures, the importance of personal protective equipment, welding techniques, how welding impacts our daily lives, and they also welded several projects for mementos.

“It was so much fun,” said Liam Carney, 12, Grade 7 student. “It was really cool because you got to work with cool welding stuff. Melting the metal was a lot of fun. The projects were fun too. When I get in high school I’m going to take welding.”

The students were hard at work for six days over a two month span and were also introduced to the artistic side of welding when Rich Baker showed the students his pieces of welded artwork and helped them weld mini person figurines where they used their own creativity on how they wanted the project to look in the end.

“Working with them was a lot of fun,” said Rich Baker. “It’s great to see young people get drawn into welding’s creativity. Once they flipped down the lid, they were completely engaged and enjoyed every time they ran a bead. I wish them the best as they venture into these precious moments in life and decide how they will make their impression for the better.”

Josh Klomp, 12, Grade 7 student also participated in the program and said he had a blast and enjoyed the teamwork when working on projects with his classmates.

“Everyone was nice and helped each other out,” he said. “I really liked welding the nail figurine when Rich was here. All of the instructors were great. They really showed us how to have fun with welding.”

Bridging the gap of the Canadian welding labour shortage while ensuring public safety are two key mandates of the CWB Welding Foundation and by hosting educational welding sessions it highlights the importance of welding to the younger generation of prospective welding professionals.

About the CWB Welding Foundation
The Foundation’s key mandates are to support public safety awareness, and to address the skilled welding labour shortage in Canada. It will also focus on creating access to educational opportunities for all levels of education from elementary through to post- secondary, as well as indigenous peoples, women, those with disabilities and visible minorities.

Elementary

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The CWB Welding Foundation will seek ways to engage students at the Elementary School level in the opportunities that exist in the welding industry. This will ensure that elementary school students are exposed to these opportunities prior to course selection for high school, which typically is the first opportunity students have for hands-on welding instruction.